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The Business of Building a Better World: The Leadership Revolution That Is Changing Everything
Twenty-nine leading scholars and executives provide a visionary look at the future of business, propelling past damaging industrial-age values to uncover the key ingredients of humanistic, ecologically sustainable, and intergenerational prosperity.
Through the exploration of robust cases and stories packed with deep insight and vital science, this extraordinary collection explores how we can adapt our notions of value, markets, and models of cooperation and collective action to create a world where economies and businesses excel, all people thrive, and nature flourishes.
In part I, “The Business of Business Is Betterment,” the contributors show how enterprises today are further developing—and even taking a quantum leap beyond—the multistakeholder logic of “shared value creation.” Part II, “Net Positive = Innovation’s New Frontier,” is focused on what companies can and are doing to move away from “doing no harm” to playing an active role in solving environmental, social, and economic problems. The final section, “Ultimate A Leadership Revolution That Is Changing Everything,” looks at new leadership paradigms—characterized by unexpected qualities like virtue, love, compassion, and connection—that are crucial to creating engaged, empowered, innovative, and out-performing enterprises.
This book is designed to galvanize change and unite a global community of inquiry and action. It establishes the conceptual cornerstones for a new kind of business practice that will lead the way to an equitable, sustainable, and flourishing future.
Through the exploration of robust cases and stories packed with deep insight and vital science, this extraordinary collection explores how we can adapt our notions of value, markets, and models of cooperation and collective action to create a world where economies and businesses excel, all people thrive, and nature flourishes.
In part I, “The Business of Business Is Betterment,” the contributors show how enterprises today are further developing—and even taking a quantum leap beyond—the multistakeholder logic of “shared value creation.” Part II, “Net Positive = Innovation’s New Frontier,” is focused on what companies can and are doing to move away from “doing no harm” to playing an active role in solving environmental, social, and economic problems. The final section, “Ultimate A Leadership Revolution That Is Changing Everything,” looks at new leadership paradigms—characterized by unexpected qualities like virtue, love, compassion, and connection—that are crucial to creating engaged, empowered, innovative, and out-performing enterprises.
This book is designed to galvanize change and unite a global community of inquiry and action. It establishes the conceptual cornerstones for a new kind of business practice that will lead the way to an equitable, sustainable, and flourishing future.
- GenresBusiness
232 pages, Hardcover
Published December 14, 2021
10 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 1, 2022
Part of the Leadership Humble Bundle. A business book about sustainability for the C-level suite. At times it becomes too metapysical and idealistic, but the main point is clear with a lot of examples from the real world companies.
It's a collection of essays by 29 prominent scholars and executives. A little taste about the content I copy-pasted for my memo from https://www.getabstract.com/en/summar...
Capitalism in it's previous form is unsustainable, so it needs to be reinvented. It's not about value extraction, but true value creation. Being accountable.
In his famous 1970 essay in The New York Times, University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman advised CEOs that their sole responsibility was to maximize profits for shareholders, and, in return, the whole of society would benefit. Friedman and his followers argued that civic-minded investors, executives and boards would distribute a generous portion of their wealth through charitable giving that, in turn, would increase prosperity for all. This premise has since been widely criticized, including by prominent CEOs. In 2009, Jack Welch called it “the dumbest idea in the world.” Billionaire investor Ray Dalio recently proclaimed himself a capitalist, while admitting that “capitalism is broken.”
Friedman’s single-minded – arguably pathological – outlook removed humanity from business. Throughout history, numerous business models have removed humanity from their core, including slavery; at-will work, and assembly lines. As history demonstrates, however, inhuman business models prove to be unsustainable over the long term. Fair, high-trust organizations emphasize collaboration to bring out the best in people and, unlike dehumanizing work models, drive long-term, sustainable growth.
Consumers increasingly demand fair treatment of employees, suppliers and other stakeholders. The great majority of consumers across demographics say they would reject brands whose owners defile the planet or exploit workers. Investors have shifted fully 25% of their funds to social and environmentally sustainable companies.
B-Corporations, now in the thousands worldwide, seek to generate returns for a wider range of stakeholders. These firms set standards around environmental and social performance and, on average, outperform comparable traditional corporations. Coalitions of companies have formed to combat global warming and address other social problems. The ranks of “conscious capitalists” have swelled, seeking the means to do well by doing good. To save capitalism, democracy and the planet, much more of this is needed.
Old business models no longer apply. Volatility, uncertainty and the general pace of change means most firms must reinvent or disrupt themselves two to three times each decade. To thrive in this environment, organizations, their leaders and their workforce must create, innovate and embrace change by making it fundamental to their culture – a core competency. This requires collaborative, adaptable and gritty employees. Top-down, command-and-control leadership that manages through fear can never nurture this type of workforce. Work must offer purpose, meaning, connection and joy; providing joy makes firms far more attractive to talent, more adaptable, more capable of fast change and more competitive.
It's a collection of essays by 29 prominent scholars and executives. A little taste about the content I copy-pasted for my memo from https://www.getabstract.com/en/summar...
Capitalism in it's previous form is unsustainable, so it needs to be reinvented. It's not about value extraction, but true value creation. Being accountable.
In his famous 1970 essay in The New York Times, University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman advised CEOs that their sole responsibility was to maximize profits for shareholders, and, in return, the whole of society would benefit. Friedman and his followers argued that civic-minded investors, executives and boards would distribute a generous portion of their wealth through charitable giving that, in turn, would increase prosperity for all. This premise has since been widely criticized, including by prominent CEOs. In 2009, Jack Welch called it “the dumbest idea in the world.” Billionaire investor Ray Dalio recently proclaimed himself a capitalist, while admitting that “capitalism is broken.”
Friedman’s single-minded – arguably pathological – outlook removed humanity from business. Throughout history, numerous business models have removed humanity from their core, including slavery; at-will work, and assembly lines. As history demonstrates, however, inhuman business models prove to be unsustainable over the long term. Fair, high-trust organizations emphasize collaboration to bring out the best in people and, unlike dehumanizing work models, drive long-term, sustainable growth.
Consumers increasingly demand fair treatment of employees, suppliers and other stakeholders. The great majority of consumers across demographics say they would reject brands whose owners defile the planet or exploit workers. Investors have shifted fully 25% of their funds to social and environmentally sustainable companies.
B-Corporations, now in the thousands worldwide, seek to generate returns for a wider range of stakeholders. These firms set standards around environmental and social performance and, on average, outperform comparable traditional corporations. Coalitions of companies have formed to combat global warming and address other social problems. The ranks of “conscious capitalists” have swelled, seeking the means to do well by doing good. To save capitalism, democracy and the planet, much more of this is needed.
Old business models no longer apply. Volatility, uncertainty and the general pace of change means most firms must reinvent or disrupt themselves two to three times each decade. To thrive in this environment, organizations, their leaders and their workforce must create, innovate and embrace change by making it fundamental to their culture – a core competency. This requires collaborative, adaptable and gritty employees. Top-down, command-and-control leadership that manages through fear can never nurture this type of workforce. Work must offer purpose, meaning, connection and joy; providing joy makes firms far more attractive to talent, more adaptable, more capable of fast change and more competitive.
December 1, 2021
A nice read for those starting to learn about business sustainability. This book sums up the list of things necessary for a business to be net zero. It has a visionary approach on how to meet the needs of the present but not compromising the future. Those businesses that incorporate greener solutions will stay while those profit-focused won’t last.
Overall, I found that this book is helpful for beginners in sustainability. It cited many great companies and how they’re changing the world with a more sustainable vision. However, I was not very fond of the writing. Some are based on opinions and the approach was, as in the book, “Build a company with love.” — I kind of cringed when I read that part.
Great effort on this book though!
Overall, I found that this book is helpful for beginners in sustainability. It cited many great companies and how they’re changing the world with a more sustainable vision. However, I was not very fond of the writing. Some are based on opinions and the approach was, as in the book, “Build a company with love.” — I kind of cringed when I read that part.
Great effort on this book though!
October 1, 2024
Had to read it for class lol - still counts!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews